S.Res. 195Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

A resolution requesting information on El Salvador's human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

Sponsored by Tim KaineSen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
Introduced May 1, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 12:50 AM UTC

The Senate adopted a resolution asking the Secretary of State to provide a detailed report on human‑rights conditions in El Salvador. Within 30 days, the State Department must submit a statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee outlining alleged abuses, U.S. actions to address them, and the impact on U.S. security assistance. The request focuses on violations such as torture, forced disappearances, and due‑process concerns, and it concerns both Salvadoran citizens and U.S. persons detained in El Salvador.

Key Provisions

  • The Secretary of State must deliver a statement, prepared with the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the Office of the Legal Adviser, within 30 days of the resolution’s adoption.
  • The statement must detail credible information on alleged human‑rights violations by the Salvadoran government, including torture, forced disappearances, transnational repression, and lack of judicial independence.
  • It must describe U.S. steps taken to promote human rights in El Salvador, discourage abusive practices, and condition security assistance on respect for rights.
  • The report must assess whether U.S. security assistance could be used for rendition, trafficking, or detention of non‑Salvadoran nationals.
  • It must evaluate conditions at El Salvador’s Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), including any torture allegations.
  • The statement must outline actions the United States is taking to protect U.S. citizens and residents detained in El Salvador and to ensure compliance with U.S. court orders for their return.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions
SenateDischarge Latest Action

Motion to discharge Senate Committee on Foreign Relations rejected by Yea-Nay Vote. 45 - 50. Record Vote Number: 259. (consideration: CR S2941-2947)

May 15, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 1, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S2739)

May 1, 2025

SenateDischarge

Motion to discharge Senate Committee on Foreign Relations made.

May 15, 2025

SenateDischarge

Motion to discharge Senate Committee on Foreign Relations rejected by Yea-Nay Vote. 45 - 50. Record Vote Number: 259. (consideration: CR S2941-2947)

May 15, 2025

Floor Debate

10 members

What members said about S.Res. 195 on the floor

5 Republicans5 Democrats
Rick Scott
Sen. Rick ScottR-FL · May 15, 2025

Mr. President, the nominees I will discuss today were approved by the Armed Services Committee with bipartisan support. Republicans and Democrats agreed they are qualified and ready to serve.…

Richard Blumenthal
Sen. Richard BlumenthalD-CT · May 15, 2025

Reserving the right to object, I appreciate my colleague from Florida asking for a competent team of professionals at the Department of Defense. We all want the Department of Defense to be managed…

Tim Kaine
Sen. Tim KaineD-VA · May 15, 2025

Mr. President, I move to discharge S. Res. 195 from the Committee on Foreign Relations, as provided under the previous order. Mr. President, I rise to discuss S. Res. 195, which is a vote on a motion…

Chris Van Hollen
Sen. Chris Van HollenD-MD · May 15, 2025

Mr. President, I want to start by thanking my friend and colleague Senator Kaine for his longtime leadership and support of human rights and the rule of law. It is an honor to team up with him in…

Jerry Moran
Sen. Jerry MoranR-KS · May 15, 2025

Mr. President, the call to feed the world has been answered by many Kansans, from farmers and ranchers to Senator Bob Dole and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. American farmers are linked to global…

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Thom Tillis
Sen. Thom TillisR-NC · May 15, 2025

Mr. President, I rise during Police Week to honor the brave men and women in North Carolina and across the Nation who serve in law enforcement. Thousands of officers and their families come to our…

Alex Padilla
Sen. Alex PadillaD-CA · May 15, 2025

Mr. President, I first want to begin by thanking my colleagues Senator Kaine and Senator Van Hollen--I believe Senator Schumer will be joining us--for this important issue. I want to thank them for…

John Thune
Sen. John ThuneR-SD · May 14, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 15; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour…

John Barrasso
Sen. John BarrassoR-WY · May 15, 2025

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. McCormick), and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

Richard J. Durbin
Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · May 15, 2025

I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) are necessarily absent.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 1, 2025

III

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 195

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 1, 2025

Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Schumer, and Mr. Padilla) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Requesting information on El Salvador’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

1.

Request for information on El Salvador’s human rights practices

(a)

Statement requested

The Senate requests that the Secretary of State, not later than 30 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution, submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(c)), a statement regarding El Salvador's human rights practices that has been prepared in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the Office of the Legal Adviser at the Department of State.

(b)

Elements

The statement submitted pursuant to subsection (a) should include—

(1)

all available credible information concerning alleged violations of internationally recognized human rights by the Government of the Republic of El Salvador, including—

(A)

torture and inhumane treatment of detainees, including detainees who are not citizens of El Salvador;

(B)

forced disappearances;

(C)

transnational repression;

(D)

the denial of due process for residents of El Salvador, including an evaluation of judicial independence in El Salvador; and

(E)

the treatment of citizens or residents of other countries who are being detained or imprisoned in El Salvador, including any opportunity provided to such citizens or residents to demonstrate they are being wrongfully detained or imprisoned;

(2)

a description of the steps the United States Government has taken—

(A)

to promote respect for and observance of human rights as part of the Government of El Salvador’s activities, including in the context of El Salvador's ongoing State of Exception;

(B)

to discourage any practices that are inimical to internationally recognized human rights; and

(C)

to publicly or privately call attention to, and disassociate the United States and any security assistance provided for the Republic of El Salvador from, any practices described in subparagraph (B); and

(3)

other information, including—

(A)

an assessment from the Secretary of State of the likelihood that United States security assistance (as defined in section 502B(d) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(d))) provided to the Republic of El Salvador could be used in support of activities by government officials related to the rendition, trafficking, detention, or imprisonment of individuals who are not nationals of El Salvador;

(B)

an assessment from the Secretary of State of the conditions in El Salvador’s Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), including an assessment of allegations of torture and other gross violations of human rights;

(C)

a description of any actions that the United States Government is taking to ensure that the Government of the Republic of El Salvador releases United States citizens or residents being detained or imprisoned in El Salvador in compliance with United States court orders regarding their return to the United States;

(D)

a description of any actions that the United States Government is taking to address allegations of detention, torture, or forced disappearances of United States citizens or residents by the Republic of El Salvador or efforts to facilitate the detention, torture or forced disappearances of United States citizens or legal residents;

(E)

a description of actions the United States Government is taking to provide due process in compliance with United States law for relevant persons detained or imprisoned in El Salvador through an agreement with the United States Government; and

(F)

a description of any actions the United States Government is taking to protect United States citizens and residents from unlawful rendering, trafficking, or other means of removal from the United States to the Republic of El Salvador.